


Been A Long Time But I'm Back In Town

by torakowalski



Category: Captain America (2011), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-11
Updated: 2012-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-05 04:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/402487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torakowalski/pseuds/torakowalski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve might be some kinda superhero now but that doesn't mean Bucky's gonna stop worrying when he's not taking good enough care of himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Been A Long Time But I'm Back In Town

**Author's Note:**

> Written for foxxcub's awesome Avengers Kissing Meme on LJ.

There's no way of telling time of day in the windowless, everything-less bubble that SHIELD are keeping him in, but Bucky still reckons it's late when he opens his eyes and finds Steve kneeling on the floor by his bed.  
  
Bucky forgets, tries to roll over, over compensates for his missing arm and ends up being far less stealthy than he'd like before he manages to turn onto his side and look at Steve properly. Steve looks up, lips quirking uncertainly like he's not sure if he's allowed to laugh.  
  
"I meant to do that," Bucky tells him and Steve full-on smiles at him.  
  
"I know," he promises and stands up, dragging the hard wooden visitor's chair over to the bed then ignoring it in favour of sitting on the bed next to Bucky's knees.   
  
"What were you doing?" Bucky asks, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Fuck but he's tired. Seems like he's always tired these days. Department X had him in and out of stasis for seventy years but apparently he still has some sleep to catch up on.  
  
"Praying," Steve says, same self-conscious little shrug he used to give Bucky on Sunday mornings back in the 40s when he'd leave for church and pass Bucky just coming home. Just like back then, Bucky knows not to ask what about. Just like back then, he hopes it isn't him.  
  
"Can't sleep?" he asks. Steve might be some kinda superhero now but that doesn't mean Bucky's gonna stop worrying when he's not taking good enough care of himself.  
  
"I can," Steve says with a shrug. "I'd just rather be here."  
  
Jesus Christ, what can you do with this kid?  
  
"You're an idiot," Bucky tells him. "I'm not gonna suddenly disappear in the middle of the night or die in my sleep or something."  
  
"Don't," Steve snaps, " _Bucky_."  
  
Shit, okay, Bucky didn't mean to say that. He sighs and shifts to one side of the bed, lifting his eyebrows at Steve.  
  
Steve looks immediately awkward and hopeful in that special way that only Steve can manage. "We're not fourteen anymore," he says.  
  
"We're not twenty-four, either," Bucky says and watches as Steve blushes.   
  
When they were boys, Steve used to crawl in through Bucky's window on the nights when his mom's coughing got too bad and Steve couldn't do anything to help her. Steve would slip his scrawny body into Bucky's bed, and Bucky would wake up to the sight of his bony spine poking through his t-shirt while he lay still, curled up and defensive. Then she died and the two of them got a place together and there was no one to know if they kept on doing it sometimes, even though they weren't scared kids anymore.  
  
"C'mon," Bucky says, "I dare you."  
  
Steve's eyebrows jump high - he never could resist a dare - and he crawls up the bed, climbs into Bucky's bed. They don't fit well, Steve's shoulders are too wide now and his hip bumps Bucky's but Bucky wanted that, he realises, no one touches him these days.  
  
Steve shifts to the side like he's going to put his head on Bucky's shoulder, but he straightens quickly before he can. Bucky frowns. "I don't want to trap you," Steve explains, shrugging.  
  
Oh,  _oh_ , Bucky gets it. Steve's sitting on his left, if Steve leans against him, Bucky's arm is going to end up between them and he's going to be defenseless. The thought makes his heart hammer, anxious and trapped, but Bucky's always made the reckless choice, done the thing that makes him the most scared.  
  
He scoots over and lifts his arm, wrapping it around Steve's shoulder. Steve doesn't ask if he's sure, Steve never questions other people's personal decisions, just leans in until his cheek's on Bucky's shoulder and his hair's brushing Bucky's neck.  
  
Steve's head is heavy, which is a dumb thing to think but it's been so long since he held someone that he guesses he's not used to it.   
  
"Think you can sleep now?" Bucky asks and then has to laugh at himself; that's exactly what he used to say and it always felt dumb and awkward coming out of his mouth then too.   
  
Steve laughs too, obviously remembering, but it fades into a sigh and then a big hand wraps around Bucky's thigh, holding on.  
  
Bucky turns his head, bussing a kiss over Steve's midnight-limp hair. Steve turns his head and smiles up at Bucky, that same goddamn smile that Bucky could never see without wondering why it didn't just melt all the dames' hearts.  
  
"I think I can sleep," Steve agrees and whether or not he's just humouring Bucky, it's nice to hear. He bites his bottom lip, looking up at Bucky and Bucky doesn't turn away. He doesn't turn away  _very deliberately_ . He doesn't know what kind of life Steve's got here, if being Captain America fits any better with liking men now than it did in the War, but if Steve wants -   
  
\- Steve lifts his head, kissing Bucky very carefully on the mouth.  
  
Okay, Bucky thinks, using his arm around Steve's shoulders to pull him in, kiss him back, it looks like that  _is_  what Steve wants. Maybe it's all kinds of selfish, but Bucky isn't gonna question it, he's too busy being really damn glad.

/End

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Been A Long Time But I'm Back In Town](https://archiveofourown.org/works/779366) by [sisi_rambles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisi_rambles/pseuds/sisi_rambles), [torakowalski](https://archiveofourown.org/users/torakowalski/pseuds/torakowalski)




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